1. Field of the Invention
Axial piston, wobble plate compressors of the type having a wobble plate and cam mechanism, adjustable to varying angles with respect to the drive axis, to control the stroke length of the pistons driven by the wobble plate and cam mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,603 (Abendschein et al.), assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, describes a wobble plate compressor with the wobble plate supported on a hinge ball with the torque loads transmitted in an improved manner. The present invention is an improvement over Abendschein et al. in that the hinge ball is biased to a pre-set equilibrium condition to provide an increased restoring force at increasing stroke, to reduce the tendency of such compressors to go into stroke at low ambient temperatures and to improve the stability of the control system for regulating the wobble plate angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,829 (Roberts et al.), assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, describes a wobble plate compressor using controlled, under-piston gas pressure to vary the inclination of the wobble plate, which is supported on a universal joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,886 (Olson) shows a spherical bearing or hinge ball supporting the drive/wobble plate assembly.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,980,025 (Wahlmark) and 2,964,234 (Loomis) both show the concept of pivoting the wobble plate assembly to a point spaced from the drive axis to maintain essentially constant clearance volume.